


Say It Out Loud

by tailsbeth



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Coming Out, Demiromantic, Demisexuality, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 04:48:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13287321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tailsbeth/pseuds/tailsbeth
Summary: Jughead has finally got some stability, staying at Archie’s and he couldn’t be more grateful. With this new stability in his life, he has had time to think about his feelings toward Betty. She’s the first girl he’s ever felt like this for, Jughead has never got the whole ‘crush’ thing before. After some research online, he believes he could be demiromantic. One night he and Archie talk it out.





	Say It Out Loud

**Author's Note:**

> You'll be able to tell but this was written while season 1 was airing, Archie was still with Valerie at this point.

It was another late night in the Andrews household and its newest member was trawling the internet as usual. As Archie strummed his guitar lightly, working on a new song, his new roommate Jughead sat in front of a dimly lit laptop and scrolled endlessly. He had gone down a Tumblr rabbit hole trying to see if he wasn’t the only one like him in the world. From his edgy humour to his darker choice of clothes, it was clear Jughead was a little different to the average teenager. Being labelled Betty’s boyfriend was the first time he’d felt some sort of formality, it was the first time he felt a little normal. He’d known Betty for as long as he could remember but the romantic feelings crept up on him, almost out of nowhere.

  
As he went through page after page, Jughead kept coming upon the term demiromantic. He read other people’s stories and finally felt less alone. With every tale, he became more and more familiar with what demiromantic meant. He resonated with it, he and Betty had a very strong bond, it made sense that he could have romantic feelings for her. She felt safe to him. He played around with the label in his head, it made him feel comfortable.

‘Huh. Demiromantic. Yeah.’ He accidently thought aloud.

‘Demi-what now?’ Archie interrupted his train of thought. Jughead’s eyes widened, like a deer in headlights. He’d have to tell someone eventually, Archie was a good place to start.

‘I need to tell you something Archie.’ Archie put his guitar down, he could see Jughead needed his full attention.

‘What is it buddy?’ Jughead folded his laptop away and took a moment to get his thoughts in order.

‘Well, what do you feel like when you crush on someone? Like how do you feel when Valerie’s around?’ Jughead fiddled with his shirt, barely looking in Archie’s direction.  
Archie looked away, his face blushed a little.

‘Woah, Jug. Not what I expected.’

‘Yeah, we’re getting deep I’m afraid.’ Jughead chuckled, trying to ease the odd tension.

‘Well, at first she made me feel all funny. Like she could walk into a room and my stomach would turn to jelly. All I could focus on was her.’ Archie smiled, reminiscing in his head.

‘We finally started playing together and getting to know each other, that feeling was always still there but now I could handle it. She always knew what to say and well she makes me really happy.’ Archie paused.

‘Wow, I sound so sappy!’ he laughed at himself. Jughead smirked, after Archie’s failed affair with Ms Grundy, he was relieved to see him in a normal relationship.

‘Why are you asking me all this? Surely this is the same for you and Betty?’ His voice dipped as he ended the question. Archie hoped Jughead wouldn’t pick up on it.

‘Well, yeah, kinda.’ Jughead stumbled on his words a little.

‘Archie, the thing is… Betty is the first crush I’ve ever really had.’ His heart beat a little faster, as he anxiously waited on a reply.

‘Really? Wow, Jughead. I had no idea.’ Archie’s eyebrows heightened in surprise. Jughead took a deep breath. It was finally time to say it out loud.

‘I think I might be demiromantic, Archie.’ It rolled off his tongue smoothly, confirming how Jughead felt. Archie gave him a glazed over look, he was looking for an explanation.

‘Basically, in order for me to crush on someone, I have to have a really good bond with them first, like being friends.’

‘Ohhhhh… that fits you. Like perfectly.’ Archie grinned. He knew how much Jughead felt like an outsider, so he knew how important this was to him, knowing that he wasn’t the only one. Jughead laughed, any anxiety he had over telling Archie, had disappeared.

‘You know, I think this is the biggest broment we’ve ever had.’ Jughead couldn’t help himself. Archie cringed a little.

‘And with that, I think our moment’s done.’ He picked his guitar back up and smiled at his friend, who nodded back to him, now feeling a little more at ease with himself.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m new to Ao3 so I’m in the process of posting all my fanfics here.  
> I write for Riverdale, Teen Wolf, SKAM & Shadowhunters (:
> 
> Find me at @tailsbeth-writes on Tumblr if you wanna chat 


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